We have had fun at Playgroup with these simple crafts.

We try to use recycled or easy-to-find materials, and usually involve some cutting and pasting. They are designed for parents and carers to have fun with their children. You can also connect them to a story on the same theme.

Tips for Materials:

Glue sticks work for sticking almost anything and are less messy than liquid glue.
If you need to use PVC glue, put a small amount in a recycled lid from a jar and apply it with cotton buds.

If you don’t have cardboard, print onto paper and then glue onto recycled cardboard from a cereal or biscuit box.

Coloured paper for cutting out can be anything from used wrapping paper to pages from magazines and catalogues.

For printing on coloured paper you will need proper A4 paper – look for a multi-coloured pack.

Visit cheap shops for things like chenille sticks, stickers and glittery bits. Craft shops have a great range but are more expensive, but it’s worth getting a pack of googly eyes from there.

Have a “useful box” and save any ribbon that comes on gifts, cardboard rolls from cling-wrap etc., foil chocolate wrappers, pictures from cards, icecream sticks, tissue paper, scraps of material and anything else that might remotely be used for making something.

And your computer’s clip art and the internet are great for finding theme-related pictures.

We hope to add to these crafts regularly, so keep an eye on this page. Above all, have fun!